the Army believes more lives would be saved from better training than from a few more Viking vehicles.

Click to expand...

Amended version:

the MOD bean counters are hoping that more money would be saved from a PowerPoint presentation during build-up than from buying a few more vital Viking vehicles.

Click to expand...

Whilst I think extra training based around the IED threat could be a good deal of use in the current conflict, this article reeks of using the idea to shroud cost cutting and money saving at the expense of troops.

Why does'nt the Army/MoD take the time to talk to & listen to lads like Fally before coming out with these hair brained schemes.Imaging how much more lives &,more importantly in the eye's of our current Gov,money,would be saved.
Lads like Faly who have Op Experience in oodles are the ones who can make a difference by passing thta experience on imho.

Spike - do you really think they do not listen (or even are) people who have 'been on ops' - all this is doing is bringing C_IED into core business. And about time too - the earlier people know about the threat, the more they will assimilate in core training and then in PDT/ MST.

More armour is not the only answer - it is all about TTP and the right kit for the task.

Whilst i agree with more training, hitting the recruits with this maybe not the right time. They may say they will get up-to-date training but i suspect that will fall by the way side. And as someone says, who will give this training? Id prefer the experts to be teaching it to a Unit that is about to deploy than to Recruits that 1/3 may never deploy, and some may not reach end of training etc.
By all means "teach" what the Army is doing now, on all Ops, but Op training detail should be done prior to deployment.

I also cannot see how these classes will halve the casualty rate to IED. When blokes go out on patrol whether in vehicle or on foot they have a thorough understanding of the threat and what to look for. They are briefed and rehearsed before deploying and when in theatre. We don't just send blokes out with a vallon and say 'Just go look for IED's'. Those who carry out Op Barma are fully up to date and trained on how to use the equipment and carry out the drills.

The problem lies in the fact that we can't Op Barma the whole of the patrol and even if we did we'd still miss a few.

I'm not sure if they mean recruits as in, early stage army training or if they are just goin on about unit training which has been going on in Combat units anyway. Any further training in Barma drills etc is always going to be a good thing, however with the nature of the threat as it is, and with devices and laying techniques being enhanced by the talibs after every offensive op we mount, surely the main time to hammer this stuff is at the optag stage if anything just to avoid people getting into bad habits with their drills as you see with some people when it comes to weapon handling etc. "Halve deaths" what a ridiculous and naive statement to make.